Guardian
by Beautiful Secrets
Summary: Lily's sick. Always has been. But she's been very good at hiding it, until a trip to Alcatraz sets her off, and puts others in danger, as well. Now that it's truly life or death, will Lily manage to defeat her worst enemy : herself?
1. Chapter 1: You okay?

Chapter 1

[Author's Note: I am aware that these chapters are short. I originally had them posted on Myspace, in my blog, and, honest, they look a bit longer there. So, while they are short, you shouldn't complain, because at least they are coming out.  
I do not own X-Men, or any rights to X-Men, however, I own all rights to Lily. She is my character, my creation, my baby.

Lily stood at her window, and rested the palm of her hand against the pane of glass. Rain dropped freely from the sky, sliding down the opposite side of the glass as it pelted against the ground. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away, turning and walking back to her bed on the other side of the room. Sitting down, she closed her eyes, using her mind to shut the lights off, and just sit to listen to the rainwater falling against her window. It was a weekend, in the middle of September. Soon it would be too cold to go outside, but Lily didn't mind -- less chance for someone to get hurt. She sat there in silence for a few moments before finally climbing off the bed and sliding out her door, into the darkened halls.

Sighing, she headed down the hallways, looking around for some sign of life, making sure she was alone. As she approached the living room, to check on the News, she heard footsteps behind her, and spun around to find Kitty behind her.

"Lily, what're you doing up so late?" she asked, slightly unsure. Lily took a deep breath, and took a step back.

"Seeing if there is anything new on the news..." she said hesitantly, sitting down on teh couch and putting her fingers over her heart, pushing them in a bit til she could feel her ribcage. Kitty gave a very confused look, and moved up to the couch.

"You okay, girlie? You've been avoiding us a lot lately." Lily shook her head quickly.

"I...I'm not avoiding you guys. I'm just resting...I still don't feel very well." Kitty hugged Lily and nodded.

"Alright. You know where we are if you need us," she said. "Nite, Lily."

"Good night, Kitty." Lily leaned back, and hugged herself a little bit as she flipped onto the news.

"_In other news, the kidnapping of President Erikson's daughter, Kealie, has begun the spread of a nationwide search to bring her to safety..."_ Lily lowered her eyes, shutting the TV off as she stood and looked outside.

_Kealie...we will find you. Do not fear..._ Lily thought, wringing her hands together as she swallowed hard and turned to go back into her bedroom. She slunk passed the bedrooms of her friends, to keep them from knowing she was out there, and locked herself away in her own room, moving back to the window and just standing there until the moon was completely gone behind the clouds.


	2. Chapter 2: Memories

Chapter 2

Lily finally climbed into her own bed, curling into a small ball and rolling away from the door, facing the wall as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

_Lily ran outside, struggling to move in her rubber X-Men outfit. Kitty turned her head from the steps of the X-Jet. _

_"Lily, hurry!" Lily raced over, hopping onto the steps as Storm pushed the button to bring them into the Jet. Lily scooted to sit, and looked at her friends, taking a deep breath. _

_"Jeez-us, how do you guys breath in this stuff?" she called up to Logan. He glanced back over his shoulder. _

_"Luck?" Chuckling, Lily stood, and moved up to the front of the Jet, putting a hand on Logan's shoulder. _

_"Very funny..." she said, gently hugging her friend as she sat down a few seats back. She knew it was difficult for him -- they were going back to Alcatraz Island, where they'd faced off against the Brotherhood, to save not only the source of the "cure," but also to save Jean from herself...a mission that only succeeded when Logan killed her to save her. Lily took a deep breath, running her hands down the front of her suit, and sighed, shaking her head. "Have I gotten fat? This is the same one I wore last time, right?" she asked, looking over at Colossus. He looked at her, and gave her a reassuring smile, as always._

_"You haven't gotten fat, Lily. That was a year ago, we all grew," he said, rolling his arms a bit in his suit. Lily bent forward, touchig her toes to try and stretch her suit, but finding herself unable to breath, so she sat up quickly, and shook her head. _

_"We're getting refitted for these when we get back home, _**_right?_**_" she called upto Storm. Storm answered with a laugh, and a nod._

_"Yes, Lil. We can refit you guys when we get back to the mansion..." Lily smiled, and sat back in her seat, waiting for the jet to land so they could exit and move around to stretch out the suits a bit more..._

_ When they finally left the jet, Lily rubbed her neck a little, looking around._

_"What are we here for?" she asked._

_"Something to do with Magneto, I believe," Bobby said, looking around. "At least, I think that's what I heard..." Lily stumbled over her feet, grasping at Bobby's hand, and caught her breath. "What's wrong?" _

_"Something doesn't feel right..." she said, looking at Bobby, and her eyes shot open. "Storm! Move!" Storm spun, and part of the remaining wreckage of an Army tank flew towards them. Racing towards Kitty and Logan, Storm shoved the three of them out of the way, narrowly missing the car. Lily looked around, grasping Bobby and Colossus' arms, tugging them with her behind part of the building that had been knocked into the middle of the island. _

_"Lily, can you tell what it is?" She put a hand on her forehead, but shook her head hard._

_"I...I can't see anything...I just..." she muttered, unable to think straight as she struggled to concentrate. _

_"Logan...Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Lily's eyes opened, and she knitted her eyebrows together._

_"That...sounds like..." Before Lily could answer, Logan lifted his head, and watch Jean striding through the wreckage, looking around._

_"Impossible..." he said softly. She had on a pair of black shorts, and a blank spaghetti strap top, exactly what she'd been wearing the day she awoke in the Lab, and took off from the Mansion. Lily looked around, confused, and before she knew it, Scott was there, too, as was Callisto. No one could believe their eyes, but they stood, letting their guard fall. Lily looked around, unbelieving, and gasped. _

_"LOGAN! DUCK!" she cried, and as he spun around, Magneto's hand flew into the air, lifting him into the ground. Jean crossed to Storm, and smirked. _

_"You're trying to take Logan from me...aren't you?" she asked in a soft, hiss-like voice. Storm knitted her eyebrows together._

_"What're you talking about Jean...?"_

_"It's not Jean! Something's not right!" Bobby called, feeling the same thing Lily felt. Something about what was happening was definately wrong, but they couldn't quite place it. Jean raised a hand, and punched Storm hard enough that she went flying. Scott looked at Kitty, who stood between Bobby and Lily, and smirked at her, glancing at Colossus -- the two had recently started dating. _

_"My girl," he growled, flipping his visor and shooting at Colossus. He barely had the time to put his shield over his stomach and chest before the beam struck him, sending him flying backwards. Scott jogged over, kicking the shit out of Colossus as though the shield wasn't there. Logan was still suspended in the sky, and Jean was moving to come after Storm. She stopped, and looked over at Bobby, Kitty, and Lily, throwing her hand in the air and sending them into the side of the building, letting them slam full force before sliding to the ground._

_As the three managed to climb to their feet, they saw Storm and Colossus lying motionless, as Jean and Scott disappeared. Magneto kept his ground, above the ground, suspending Logan in the air, as Pyro appeared from behind some wreckage. _

_"He...cough He's like Jean and the others...its not him..." she said, feeling anger building up inside her at what whoever it was was doing to them. Bobby and Kitty stood, just in front of Lily, as she continued to struggle to breathe. Pyro walked up to them, and held out his hands, sending the fire at Kitty and Bobby. Even though Bobby countered with his ice, Pyro overpowered him, moving closer and bending them both into the ground, letting the flames he sent at them burn their skin, sending them into fits of screams of pain, as Lily looked up from behind them. He pulled the fire from the two on the ground, and looked at her, raising his hand to burn her. She stuck out her own hands, sending the fire back at him, causing him to disappaer. She looked at Kitty and Bobby._

_"Just...rest...you'll...be fine," she said, turning and running as fast as she could towards Storm, Colossus, and Logan. Magneto looked down. _

_"You were supposed to fall like the others..." His lips moved to the right words, but the voice that came out was not his, and Lily knew that this wasn't right at all -- those they'd come in contact with were figments...They weren't real. _

_"Who are you?!" she cried, as he tightened the grip on Logan's throat as he brought him to the ground. _

_"You're worst fear..." he growled, turning Logan towards her. She looked at him, confused, as Magneto raised Logan's arm, extracting one of his claws. Logan groaned in pain, his eyes going cross, as his hand lifted to his neck._

_"No...what...what're you...no..." Lily begged softly, tears in her eyes, her heart screaming and her stomach going in knots to keep from losing control. In one swift motion, the claw sliced across his neck, and he dropped to the ground, gurgling as he bled. Lily's eyes instantly flashed a dark green. _

_"NO!" she screamed. Bobby and Kitty lifted their heads, Bobby finally managing to put some cold onto them to stop the burning. A wind picked up, and Lily began to fly, her hands balled into fists at her side. Bobby and Kitty looked at each other._

_"Oh...boy..." Kitty mumbled, looking up again. Lily's hair flowed around her head, quickly changing from blonde to black/blue, and she screamed, holding her hands out in front her. To Bobby's surprise, Lily held a sword in her hands. Without hesitation, she went at Magneto's form, screaming more, as she swung and sliced and fought, the wind around her kicking up dust and dirt and even the rubble. _

_Within a matter of minutes, Logan had healed himself up, and Lily had collapsed to the ground. While the others were able to stand and move, Bobby was not. When Lily had sent things flying about, he got beat up a bit by items, rubble, that he could not dodge...Bobby was comatose. Logan went, bringing Storm back to conciousnes, and helped her stand so she could help the kids to the Jet. Lily laid, completely still, where Magneto had shown himself, and Logan lifted her into his arms, carrying her back to the Jet. Bobby laid, near death, on the ground near the building, and Colossus, who was gradually getting back to normal, picked him up and carried him to the Jet._

Lily's eyes opened, tears on her face, as she shook her head, and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Go away...please...go away...I hate you...I hate..." she sniffled, shaking her head and ending the thought as she curled into a ball and sat awake the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3: Trip to the Lake

Chapter 3

Storm and Logan stood in the entryway, near the front doors, as the students gathered around them.

"Alright, guys, field trip time...Any guesses on where we're going today?" she asked, smiling as she looked around. The students looked at each other, but only Logan saw the shaky hand stick up in the back.

"What about you? Where are we goin?" he asked, unable to see through the mass of students. After a second of silence, a faint but familiar voice sounded.

"To...to the lake, to practice in peace, before going to a museum..." The students stopped, and turned around, as Lily moved through them, sighing shakily as she walked up towards the front but stayed a distance from Kitty and Colossus. Storm's eyes widened slightly, not really expecting to see Lily, but glad she had come out.

"Yes...that's right Lily. We'll head to the lake first..." Storm said, nodding to Lily as she turned, talking as she led them out the front doors. Biting her lip, she shoved her hands into her pockets, moving with the students out the front doors. Some kids passed her and said hi, or hey, or some form of the greeting, but most avoided even looking at her, bumping her a little as they passed her by. She finaly stopped walking, letting them go ahead of her, and followed behind the crowd to the lake.

At the lake, Logan looked around.

"We're treating this like a real-life Danger Room session. No machines, no nothing, just us...just practicing our powers, not our strength. Kitty, Colossus, you two first..." Smiling, they walked out, and as Colossus metalled up and threw a punch, Kitty smirked and let it pass right through her without flinching, and they did it a couple times before she dropped and swung her foot, tripping him to the dirt. Logan pulled Colossus off the ground, and smirked, nodding at them.

"Good...who wants to go next?" Slowly, then went through the crowd, until the only ones remaining were Logan and Lily. Logan looked around the crowd, circling till he could see her, and she looked up.

"Lil...You gotta do it." She shook her head slowly.

"I hurt people when I fight..." He chuckled.

"That's the point." Her head shook faster.

"I hurt OUR people when I fight...The X-Men...I nearly killed Bobby," she sniffled, shaking her head more as she turned her head a little. "I won't do it." Storm sighed.

"Lily, you know we won't make you any other time, but you have to practice -- you haven't visited the Danger Room the whole time we've been back from Alcatraz," Storm said, moving closer. Lily sighed, knowing she couldn't win and wishing the Professor were still alive -- he wouldn't push her like this.

"Fine...but if something happens...I'm sorry in advance..." she said, moving over near the lake. Logan faced her, adn the two began to spar. He finally knocked her on her back, and came at her with his claws, but Lily threw her hands up, locking him in place. Logan looked at himself, and the kids giggled : he was locked on his toes, leaning over her, about to swipe his claws -- although they all knew he wouldn't have actually hurt her. Keeping one hand up, Lily stood, and stepped back, putting her hands together, and shoving Logan back. He flew back into the tree, and stumbled, shaking his head. He looked at Storm, and smiled.

"Seems to strong for me, you wanna try her?" Lily giggled, starting to loosen up again, as Storm switched with Logan. They fought for a while, before Storm pulled the thunder and lightning out, striking down right near Lily. She jumped, leaping backwards, and readied her hands.

"Here...try to stop this..." Storm tilted her head, and sent lightning towards Lily. She threw her hands up, and concentrated hard, but knew it wasn't stopping. Struggling to do it, she grew scared that she would be struck, and jus tbefore it hit her, Lily cried out, shoving her hands...and shoved the bolt backwards, into itself. Storm stopped, looking at Lily as she ran for the water, her hands over her head, and shoved her head into the lake, crying. Storm and Logan ran over, pulling her out, although she clawed at the sand to stay under. Logan finally grasped her about the waist, and yanked her out. As Lily slid backwards against the sand, the entire class stepped back -- her hair was black, and her eyes were squeezed shut.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed, smacking at her forehead as she stood and raced into the trees.

"Lily!" Kitty cried, jogging forward. Storm grabbed her wrist.

"Logan...you and Colossus go find her. We'll be here..." The two jogged off into the woods, and the further they went, the louder Lily's crying became, with sudden out-cries mixed in. Logan and Colossus ran, searching, before finally Logan stopped, and looked up. She'd climbed into one of the trees, and was now just laying on a branch, taking short, shaky breaths, staring off at the tree, her hair covered by her hands.

"Lily! Come on down!" Colossus called. She shook her head.

"I don't wanna hurt you guys...please...go away..." she begged, her hands moving to cover her face and revealing that her hair was black and blonde, streaked differently, in alternating colours.

"We aren't leaving without you," Logan said matter-of-factly. As Lily opened her mouth to protest, Logan watched as her hair went _**black**_, and then instantly back to a blinding blonde, as she rolled off the branch. Colossus caught her, and looked at Logan as she lay in his arms, breathing and crying in her unconcious state.

"We should get her back to the mansion..." Logan said, leading them back thruogh the trees, and informing Storm as they passed by her.


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected Visitor?

Chapter 4

Kitty climbed out of the elevator, slowly heading down to the lab where Dr McCoy was checking Lily out to make sure that she would be alright. She came to a stop near the door, listening.

"What's the word, Hank?" Storm asked, moving her hands from her pockets to across her chest. Hank sighed.

"She'll wake up when she's ready, but from what Logan and Peter described, it seems like whatever is in her is trying to take over whenever Lily hits a hard emotion. If it goes on like this...she might end up like Jean..." he says, sighing again, and shaking his head as Logan pushed the hair off Lily's face.

"For our sake...and for her sake...I hope she fares better than Jean..." Logan mumbled. Storm lowered her eyes, walking around the table, and Kitty bit her lip, sniffling softly. Logan turned, looking out the door, and Storm followed his gaze as she looked up, holding up her hand to keep him in the room and went out as Kitty started back to the elevator.

"Kitty...?" She paused, and turned.

"Is she...going to die?" Kitty asked, her voice very soft. Storm put her arms around Kitty's shoulders to comfort her.

"We have to be there for her when she wakes up...We can't let her...if we keep her calm, and keep her happy...we have a much better chance at her beating this thing..." Hank said, moving towards them. Peter came down the hall, and put a hand on Kitty's back, taking her from Storm.

"C'mon, Cat...I'll take you back upstairs..." he said, taking her hand gently and moving into the elevator with her.

Kitty, Peter, and Logan sat in the living room that evening, while kids bustled down the halls towards their rooms, and Bobby and Lily laid no more than five feet apart, recovering from attacks by the same monster.

"Logan?"' Kitty asked, looking over at him.

"Hm?"

"If something bad happens with Lily...will you be okay?" she asked, patting his shoulder. Logan looked at her.

"Will you?" he replied, not answering her question. Kitty bit her lip, and looked back at Peter.

"She's my friend...No...I wouldn't be okay..." she said softly, closing her eyes as Peter put his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kitty...whatever happens, happens...if anything, you'll be one of the main reasons she stays safe as long as she does," he says comfortingly, hugging her. Logan sighed, and gave a low growl.

"Alright...ya answered it, so I can do it, too...if something happens to her...I'd probably--" His voice was drowned out by the thudding of the front doors, and the clicking of the latch to keep them closed. Knitting his eyebrows together, Logan quickly extracted the claws on his right hand, standing and moving away from the couch. Peter, patting Kitty's shoulder, stood, following behind Logan. The residents of the mansion were all thought to be within the walls, mostly readying themselves for bed...no one should have been outside.

"Hello?" a very familiar voice called. Logan and Peter looked at each other, and moved over to the hall, pausing as they looked into the face of the man who'd just walked in, as he stopped and looked back at them.

"Pyro?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Guardian

Chapter 5

Pyro looked at Logan and Pete for a second, and sighed.

"Uh...Hey..." he said, waving his hand a little. Kitty stood up, and walked out, standing behind Pete and Logan.

"What do you want, John?" she asked, hands at her sides. He gave a soft smile, and shrugged.

"Well...Magneto is human...Jean is gone...And I need a place to go...so...if you don't mind...I'd like my old bed back," he says, completely honestly. Logan shrugs.

"If it were up to me, I'd say go back where you came from," he growled, thinking back to the attacks on Alcatraz Island. John's shoulders slumped a little, and Logan turned away. "But it's not up to me, it's up to Storm...she's in Xavier's office, go ask her," he mumbled, turning and going to his room. John did turn, heading past Kitty and Peter, going into the office to see Storm, as she sat at the desk with her head in her hands.

"...Storm?" he asked, looking in. As she looked up, and forced a smile at him, Kitty looked at Peter, and headed off to the lab to see Lily and Bobby, with Peter right behind her.

"Kit? You gonna be okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as they stood by Lily. Kitty looked down at her friend, who laid still and quiet on the cold metal table, her pulse and breathing being monitored on the machines near her head.

"If she wakes up...then yes..." she said softly, turning and hugging Peter as he put his arms around her as gently as possible. She sighed, trying to keep herself calm, as Peter took her by the arm and led her back upstairs.

"C'mon...you should get some rest, Cat," he said, kissing the top of her head as he stood outside her door. She nodded.

"You too...good night, Peter..." she sighed, walking back into her room and curling up on her bed. Peter placed his hand on her door, hesitating, before going off to his room, shaking his head ever so slowly.

Pyro went off, to the room he used to have, by permission of Storm, as the night slowly began to turn into day. However, as he fell asleep, Logan, Kitty, and Peter laid awake on their beds, unable to sleep, and unable to think of what would happen if Lily never woke up.

The following afternoon, Storm came down to the basement to hear an irregularity on the heart moniter, but, not knowing which one it was, she hurried down the hall, arriving to find Bobby looking at Lily in utter confusion.

"Bobby, you're awake," she said, giving a very relieved smile as she moved to his table. He nodded.

"Uh, yeah...what happened?" he asked, as Storm came and started to unhook him from the monitors. She looked up at him, and explained the battle at Alcatraz for him, so he knew what had happened to bring him to the lab. As he moved to motion to Lily, Storm started to explain that one, as well, so he didn't have to ask. Bobby sighed, and Storm helped him off the table, taking him to the elevator and upstairs so his friends could see him.

Rogue, who was sitting in the living room with Peter, lifted her eyes to see Bobby,and ran to him, hugging him to her as he hugged her back.

"Are you alright?" she asked, pulling back, and touching his cheek. Bobby smiled, nodding and giving her a very soft kiss on the cheek. She smile, hugging him again, as Storm moved to the kitchen. Logan looked up from the fridge, pushing his hand down his face.

"Anything new with the girl?" he asked, grabbing a bottle of pop out of the fridge. Storm just shook her head, moving to the sink to get a glass of water. Logan sighed. "What do you think's gonna happen when Bobby finds out he came back?" he continues, meaning John. Storm stopped, and turned her head.

"I'm willing to bet there will be problems between them...especially if Bobby doesn't realize that it wasn't really John there that night..." she said softly, shaking her head as she set the glass in the drying rack and headed to the living room with the others.

It wasn't for a few hours that John made his appearance in the living room with the others, where Bobby was resting with Rogue, Kitty, Peter, Logan and Storm. John walked passed, waving and saying "Good morning" as he headed outside to get some fresh air. Bobby stood up, moving outside, and walked up behind John, shoving him _hard_ away from the building. John stumbled, spinning around.

"What?!" he exclaimed, confused.

"Why did you try to kill us?!" Bobby yelled, pushing him again.

"What the hell are you talkin about Bobby?" John asked, looking at him like he was crazy.

"On Alcatraz...twice. You tried to _kill_ us!" he snapped, his hands becoming covered in ice.

"Bobby, don't, wait!" Storm called, moving out. Bobby ignored her, and shot his ice at John. John threw his hands in the air, throwing his fire back, meeting him in the middle, creating a similar match to that at Alcatraz before Jean died.

"I did not! I was only there once!" he yelled, pushing his fire further. Bobby kept one hand up, and lowered the other, going for John's legs. As he did so, John brought one hand down, going for Bobby from the underside, but as the fire and ice neared the two, it stopped in midair.

Kitty looked at Storm, then Peter, and over her shoulder.

"What's doing that?" she asked, knowing it wasn't them.

"I don't know..." Peter said,taking her hand and pulling her back a bit, just incase.

"Boys, stop it!" Storm called. "Put your powers away..." Bobby and John both twitched, and looked at each other.

"I can't move!" they both called. Storm started to them, and suddenly stopped, midstep.

"Storm?" Logan asked.

"I can't move, either..." As Logan, Peter, and KItty looked at each other, the front doors flew open, and Lily walked out, her hand up, and she shoved all but John and Bobby to the ground, moving up to the boys and walking right in the middle, grasping the fire and ice in her hands and making it disappear.

"If you can't play nice, you shouldn't play at all," she said, her voice low and growly, as she looked at Bobby with black-ish eyes. He stared at her, surprised.

"Lily?" She moved up to him, and grabbed him by the shirt.

"You don't fight with someone who was not at fault," she snapped, shoving him hard, back into Logan.

"Lil? What're you doin?" Pyro asked, finding his strength to move and putting a hand on her shoulder. She spun to see him, and her eyes flickered back and forth for a second from black to blue and back again, before they settled on black.

"Oh my...John...?" she asked softly, as her eyes twitched, as she dropped forward, into his arms as he caught her and sat with on the ground while he waiting for her to regain consciousness.


	6. Chapter 6: I'm Not Well

Chapter 6

Lily was laying on the couch in the living room, sleeping semi-peacefully. Pete and Kitty were sitting on the chair, him on the cushion, her on the arm of it, while John sat on the table, his head in his hands. Bobby came up to the couch from the kitchen, resting a cool wash cloth on Lily's forehead.

"Hey...Pyro," he said, standing up straight from the back of the couch. John lifted his head a little.

"What?"

"Sorry...for tryin' to kill you, ya know..." John shrugged, and lowered his head again. Storm gently patted Bobby's shoulder.

"Bobby, why don't you go get some rest, okay? You've had a long day...All of us had. Why don't we all go lay down, at least for a while?" she asked to John, Kitty, and Peter. While Kitty and Peter nodded and headed off to their rooms, John stayed put. "John?"

"I'm not leaving," he said simply. Sighing and knowing she wouldn't win even if she tried, Storm turned and moved off into her room, laying back on her bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. Kitty looked at Peter as he walked her to her room.

"Do you think Lily will make it? I mean, do you think she will beat whatever it is that's doing this to her?" she asked, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I believe Lily can overcome anything, so long as she has people to believe in her," he said, stopping at Kitty's door. She smiled faintly.

"Then she can overcome this...I believe, you believe, John, Bobby, Storm, Logan...we all do," she said. Peter nodded reassuringly.

"You're right...you get some rest, Cat...if you wake before I do, come get me, alright?" Nodding, she hugged him, and kissed his cheek, heading into her room.

John stayed on table for a while, while Lily slept, and nearly leapt from his skin when her hand landed on his knee.

"Lil?" he asked, jumping. She smiled softly at him, gently moving the cloth from her forehead.

"Hey..." John kneeled down beside the couch, and touched her hand.

"Lil, what happened to you?" he asked. She gently shook her head.

"I don't know, John...I...I don't know," she said, moving a little to sit up.

"Easy, Lil...you gave us all a scare out there."

"When did you get here?"

John hesitated.

"Yesterday...came to see if I could move back in here..." She nodded, and sat up all the way, rubbing her neck.

"You shoudn't have come back, John." He raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why? Why not?" he asked, confused. Lily looked at him at an angle, and sighed.

"Because I'm not well."


	7. Chapter 7: Talk with Logan

Chapter 7

John frowned, eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean, you're not well? he asked, a bit of worry evident in his voice. Lily shook her head, holding the washcloth between her fingers as she tried to stand. Reaching out for her arm, John stood, too. "Be careful, Lil," he mumbled, frowning more as she brushed his hands away.

"If you don't want to get hurt, I suggest going away, John. Far, far away from me...and not looking back..."

"Lily, no...I'm not leaving you until y-" Lily spun, a hard glare silencing him in mid-word.

"You say you won't leave _now_, John. I didn't want you to leave _then_. If you had stayed, none of this would have happened, and I wouldn't be losing this fight with myself, for my own life." The look on his face, in his eyes, proved just how puzzled (and pissed off) he was getting. Groaning, she shoved away from him, heading down the hall in hopes to catch Kitty, or Peter. In hopes of getting away from John, to explain to one of her friends what was happening to her and, as a result, to them, so they knew what was wrong. John, grumbling, trudged off, knowing she was far too stubborn to turn back, and knowing _he _was far too stubborn to admit he was wrong. Shuffling her feet a bit, Lily looked at Kitty's door, shakily raising her hand to knock and talk with her.

"Problems, kid?" She jumped, but smiled a little at the voice.

"Logan..." she said softly, turning to face him. He gave a slight smirk, nodding.

"Hey, kid. Good to see _you_ awake," Logan said, watching her nod. Lily was glad she was the one awake, too. After a second of silence, she glanced over her shoulder at Kitty's door, and bit her lip.

"Logan? Um...Could we talk?" Even though he showed her a curious look, he headed back to his room with her. She knew Logan wasn't a touchy-feely, talk about my problems kind of guy, but she also knew he was her friend, and they had all been worried about her.

"What's on your mind?" he questioned, turning his desk chair around and sitting in it backwards to face Lily as she sat Indian style on the bed. Rubbing her neck, she sighed.

"I'm sick...or...damaged...or something..." she answered. "When I hurt Bobby, when I snapped in the forest, when I approached everyone outside, it wasn't me. Not this me you're looking at, anyways..." Logan looked her over, nodding.

"Yeah, we know Lily. It was in the file the Professor had on ya. Storm found it a few weeks ago." She shook her head quickly, looking up at him.

"Yes, but I hadn't gotten the chance to update some information with him before...um...he passed." She closed her eyes, putting her hands over them. "I'm not doing well at controlling her. Jean was helping me, but since she can't anymore, it's becoming easier to set me off. A sad movie, an argument that either I'm a part of or I overhear, a really dirty look, a threat. Logan...I'm not sure I can fight her anymore. She knows all my weaknesses..." Sniffling, she rubbed the palms of her hands into her eyes, before letting them fall into her lap. Slightly grimacing, Logan stood up, moved away from his chair, and, kneeling on the bed by her, embraced Lily.

"You have to fight it. You can't end up like Jean, we wouldn't be able to handle another loss, not like that." Lily lifted her hands, wrapping them around his waist and holding him close to her. The feel of someone she cared about so close, it brought a little light into her heart. She let him hold her, until she was calmed down enough so that she wouldn't switch. Finally taking a deep breath, Lily pulled back a bit, and looked up at Logan.

"Thank you...very much."

"Anytime, kid," he said, patting her head and taking a seat back on the bed, stretching his legs off the edge. "Anything else?"

"One thing. You know about the president's daughter, right?" she asked, tilting her head. He nodded, eyebrow raised. "I have to find her..." she whispered.

"What? Why you?" Logan asked, confused. Lily frowned.

"Who else, Logan? I have the feeling that she's like us, and if someone else finds her, and finds _out_..." she said, shaking her head. Shrugging, he stood, and pulled a cigar from his desk.

"How do you plan on finding her, Lil?" A smirk spread across her lips before the question was completely out of his mouth, and he shook his head as he saw it. "Lily..."

"The only way I know how," she replied, hopping off the bed and bounding down the hall to the elevator.

"Shit," he cursed, racing off to find Storm.

Lily kneeled down, waiting for the light to scan her eye.

"Welcome, Lily," came the friendly female voice near the door. Smiling, she stepped inside and took place in a regular chair at the control.

"Lily! Don't do it!" Storm call, rushing down the hall to Cerebro with Logan on her heels. She didn't respond - simply cast a backwards glance over her shoulder and shut the doors.

"No!" Logan cried, slamming his fists into the door. He spun to face Storm. "Now what?! She isn't strong enough to be in there n-" He stopped, and turned slowly towards the door, taking a step back. Storm eyed him, and the door.

"Logan?" she asked softly. He moved his head to see her.

"She isn't strong enough...but that Guardian is..."


End file.
